Alabama Battlefield: The Controversy of Nitrogen-Asphyxiation Execution

Alabama plans to execute Alan Miller using nitrogen-asphyxiation, the second use of the method in the state. Miller was convicted of murdering three men in 1999. The method, previously used on Kenneth Smith, proved contentious as witnesses reported prolonged suffering. The move has drawn criticism from human rights groups and the Biden administration.

Alabama is set to execute convicted murderer Alan Miller on Thursday using the controversial nitrogen-asphyxiation method. This will be the state's second execution using the method since its introduction in January.

Miller, aged 65, was convicted of the 1999 murders of three men, including two co-workers, in a shooting spree. Last January saw the first use of nitrogen asphyxiation on Kenneth Smith, with witnesses describing the execution as prolonged and painful, contradicting the state's claim of it being the 'most painless' method.

The Biden administration and senior U.N. officials have criticized this execution method, condemning it as potentially torturous. Despite these concerns, Alabama's Attorney General Steve Marshall defended Smith's execution as a 'textbook' procedure. Miller subsequently sued the state fearing the method's possible constitutional violations but reached a confidential settlement. His execution remains scheduled at Holman Correctional Facility, amid continued scrutiny and calls for change from advocacy groups and rights organizations.

(With inputs from agencies.)